A thousand years ago cotton clothes were the visible
differentiation between a civilized man and a nomad. Even today, practically
everyone on earth are wearing cotton or using something made out of it. This
crop was domesticated first in Asia, Africa and South America and took its
prominent place in the journey of human civilization.
Cotton textiles were the major export of Indus valley
civilization and were exchanged for grains, spices and other goods. An
English traveler called the cotton plant a “Vegetable Lamb”. Traders and
travelers spread the usage of cotton and made it a valuable crop. Cotton processing
mills were at the center of industrial revolution. Mahatma Gandhi’s cotton
spinning wheel became a political symbol in India. In a way, biography of
cotton is a reflection of human evolution. So the biography of cotton cuts
across centuries and circles around the globe.
Author Stephen Yafa has done extensive research of tracking
the history of cotton, its evolution and adoption. He provides lots of insights
and reveals fascinating facts to the reader making the biography of cotton no
less interesting than the biography of human beings.
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